Caught Red Handed
by YJ-Obsessed
Summary: This is a little one-shot about Red X being Jason Todd. It bugs me that they never cover these kind of things on Teen Titans, but oh well. Leaves more for a fan fiction writer to play with.


**I was watching an episode of Teen Titans. It was the Ding Dong Daddy race. I thought about the other episodes with Red X, and it hit me. __****Note that I had toyed with the idea before, but this episode really made me think of it. Don't ask why. Anyway, I figure that Red X is Jason Todd. They never say who he is though, much like they never go into who Robin is. Or Beast Boy or Cyborg. Not the point. The point is, I decided to make a little one shot about it. I hope you like it.**

Jason was in his hide-out...which was really just an abondoned apartment, but still. Anyway, he was in the little run-down place that he called home. He took off his helmet and looked in the bathroom mirror. His dark disheveled hair fell in his face. His green eyes stared back at him. Jason looked down at the helmet on the bathroom counter. He hadn't meant to become Red X. Originally, he was going to the tower to see Robin. He figured that the rest of the team didn't know who Robin really was...He knew how paranoid his "brother" could be. He smirked to himself. Jason remembered when Dick had told him that they were brothers.

"We are the only kids in this house. You and me? We gotta stick together. I'll look out for you, and you won't go into my room and do unspeakable things to my stuff. Deal?" A twelve year old Dick had extended a hand to him. Jason was taken back. No one _ever_ wanted him to touch them. They always thought that he would pick their pockets...They were probably right, but still it hurt.

Ten year old Jason shook hands with his new brother. "Deal, Grayson."

"Dick."

Jason smiled. "Dick."

Jason shook his head and took off the Red X suit. He had snuck into the tower, planning on waiting for his brother. Things didn't go as planned. He ended up having to hide from the team, or else be discovered. He found the safe...broke into it, and found the suit. He had read about what this thing could do...Jason just couldn't resist. He was born a street rat of Gotham. Those kind of impulses to take what you see didn't go away easily. He knew it would probably get him in trouble with Bruce...Or worse, Dick...Or even worse _still_, Alfred. But he couldn't help it. His hands acted of their own free will. Jason was pretty sure that Robin knew, or at least had some kind of guess. He knew that Robin definitely had a fairly certain idea of who he was after they fought. And after they fought Professor Chang together, Jason _knew_ that Robin knew who he was. He _had_ to. Robin had said to him, "I thought you didn't like being a hero."

To which Jason had replied, "Just because I don't _like_ it, doesn't mean that I don't know how." Robin had just smirked. Jason had never exactly hated the whole hero gig. He like to help people and stop creeps like the Joker from killing innocent people...that being said, Jason's pick-pocket instincts weren't always stifled when they were say, stopping a robbery at a jewelry store. He may or may not have occasionally taken a jewel or two from the theives' pockets. Batman may or may not have found out only two late, when Jay had already sold them. Dick knew that Jason had trouble with it. Before he left Batman for Jump City, Jason had started to go out on patrol with Batman. Robin still tried to keep in touch with Jason, who was now Gotham's Robin. Everyone knew that he was a different Robin from the first. He didn't look the same (even with the mask) plus his costume was different. Anyway, Jason had left to visit his big brother.

Batman had been acting like more of a pain than usual and he just needed to get some air. So, he took his motorcycle and drove...all the way to his brother's town. As Jason sat on his lumpy couch thinking of how mad Bruce would be if he ever found out...wait..._if_? The question wasn't _if_, it was _when_? Bruce was _Batman_, for crying out loud! Jason put his head in his hands. "I am _so_ screwed." He muttered.

"No kidding." Jason whipped his head around to see Robin standing in front of his living room window. Jason jumped up.

"Robin...I..." Jason looked down and saw the Red X mask on the coffee table. He had brought it into the living room with him. "Oh, crap." Jason finished. It was one thing for Dick to speculate...but for him to actually know...to know for certain that Jason was now a crook. That was a shame that he found hard to live with. Dick had always been great to Jason. He really had looked out for him. If Jason got into a fight, Dick would always have his back. If Jason got busted for doing something stupid, most of the time, Dick would cover for him and take the blame and punishment. Bruce, of course saw right through it, but if Dick wanted to take the blame, he could have it. Jason had tried to stop Dick at first, but Dick had just clamped his hand over the younger boy's mouth and talked over him.

Dick then pulled Jason into another room. "Jay, I am trying to help you out here."

"But you didn't _do_ anything," Jason had replied stubbornly.

Dick rolled his eyes. "And _you_ did it _accidentally_. So I get grounded for a week. Who cares? I'm your big brother. I'm supposed to cover for you. So get used to it."

There were, of course the thing that Richard couldn't cover for. A bad report card. A parent teacher conference. When Jason got caught on camera stealing test answers from his algebra teacher's desk. Those were the things that Richard had to let Jason brave alone. So now, as Jason stared at the brother that he had idolized, he felt his face become hot in shame.

Robin strode forward and picked up the helmet. He held it in his hands and stared at it for a while. "Jay...why? I-I don't get it."

Jason crossed his arms in front of his chest. I didn't mean to. It just...you know how I get when I see something that's interesting." Jason said weakly as he looked at the ground. He heard Dick chuckle.

"You always _were_ a bit of a klepto." Dick conceded. "But I thought that you were with Batman...at least...I _hoped_ that you were."

"Really, Grayson? I thought that you of all people knew me better. Bruce was being a jerk. More of one than usual." Jason added, seeing his brother's face. Bruce wasn't exactly mean, he could just be a little cold and calculating. "I left and ended up here. I went to your tower, hid when your friends showed up, and I found it. I never hurt anyone...on purpose." Jason added as he sat down on the couch. Robin sighed.

"I know you didn't, Jay. But why become Red X in the first place? Out of all the things you could have done?"

Jason shrugged. "I don't know. And yes, Dick. I know how pathetic that sounds. I just...I just wanted to try it. Just to see what it's like. The powers you put in this thing are amazing, by the way. How come you never did that with your own suit?" Jason asked.

It was Dick's turn to shrug. "I didn't want people to make the connection."

"Yeah, but I'm Red X, now. You're in the clear." Jason countered.

"True, but I don't have the power to make another suit. And using Xenothium was dangerous enough the first time. I won't make that mistake twice." Dick added.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that. What were you thinking? You use that stuff the wrong way, and Boom!" Jason said, throwing his hands in the air to demonstrate an explosion. Robin laughed at the fifteen year old kid.

"Really? Because, I hadn't realized that when I made the suit or when all my friends yelled at me for it." Robin said sarcastically.

Jason held up his hands in surrender. "Look, it's not my fault that you made a death suit."

"Well, you're running around in that death suit." Robin countered.

"...Touche." Jason said. Robin looked him up and down. Jason was waiting for Robin to try and slap the cuffs on him. He didn't want to have to fight his big brother.

"Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

Robin repeated, "Are you okay? I mean, this place is a dump, but you have food?"

"I...uh, yeah...Yeah, Dick. I have food." Jason said, unsure of where Dick was going with this.

" 'Cause if you need anything-"

"Whoa, whoa. Dick. I'm a bad guy. Aren't you here to turn me in? Or try and talk me out of this?" Jason asked in confusion.

Robin smiled. "I learned a long time ago that even I have a hard time talking you out of things. I just came here to check on my brother." Jason was floored. He forgot how nice it was to have someone that really cared about and understood him. Bruce and Alfred weren't the same. They would try and change him. Dick never had. He had always taken Jason for who he was. "Besides," Robin continued. "Right now, you aren't Red X. So you aren't a criminal."

"Yeah, but you see me with the suit."

"Hey, for all I know, Red X just lives here and you cover for him." Robin said shrugging.

"But, Robin. You aren't that stupid."

Robin smirked. "Maybe being away from Batman has made me lose my edge."

Jason shook his head. "After all that I've done as Red X...You're _still_ covering for me?"

"I promised I would keep you out of trouble, remember? Even if I have to bend the truth a little. But, that being said...You should go back, Jay. He needs you. He can't lose the both of us." Robin said. They both knew who "he" was. And Jason knew that Robin was right. When Dick had left, Bruce had not handled it well. He kept it together in front of Jason, sure. But when Bruce thought he wasn't looking that first night after Dick left, he lost it. Jason looked at his feet.

"Dick...I can't go back. Not right now. I just...I don't know. I guess, time to get my head right."

Robin quirked an eyebrow. "And you think that you'll get your head right by robbing banks?" Robin asked.

"...Maybe?" Jason asked in turn.

Robin chuckled. "Well...As long as you go back eventually." Dick got up to leave. As he was climbing out the window, Jason saw Robin's Titan communicator on his couch.

"Robin, wait."

Robin turned around. "What is it, Jay?"

"You left this," Jason said, holding out the communicator.

"No I didn't." Robin said.

"But-"

"Listen...If you're ever in trouble...Well, you know who to call. I'll always be there for you, Jay. We're brothers."

"We gotta stick together." Jason finished. The two boys smiled and Robin left. Jason held the communicator in his hand. Even when he was committing crimes and running away from home...his brother was still looking out for him. Jason smirked. Maybe he could take his time getting his head right.

_**I know. This is pretty much fluffy and meaningless. I just figured that Robin would be a softy of a big bro. So sue me. I like a feel good feature. :P **_


End file.
